EU deal with Russia urged

BEEF processors remain extremely concerned by the lack of progress in negotiations between Brussels and Moscow over veterinary certification issues relating to the export of EU agricultural products to the Russian market.

Russia wants the 25 EU member states to use a uniform food safety veterinary certificate rather than individual documents to cover all meat imports from the EU, worth €1.3 billion a year to European producers. Ireland sells about 75,000 tonnes of beef with a trade value of €100 million to Russia - this country’s biggest beef customer outside the EU.

The certification problem led to a suspension of trade in June, when Russia broke off bilateral agreements with individual EU member states.